Wayne, Pa.-based contract research organization (CRO) Encorium Group has completed the sale of its U.S. business to Pierrel Research USA, a subsidiary of Italian CRO Pierrel SpA, for $2.7 million.

With the closing, Encorium announced that CEO David Ginsberg had joined Pierrel Research USA as its CEO, and chief operating officer Linda Nardone, Ph.D., has left the company. Pierrel has extended employment to most of Encorium’s U.S. employees and expects the CRO’s U.S. operations to continue largely unchanged.

Merge Healthcare also announced personnel changes as a result of its recently completed acquisition of etrials and the creation of a new division, Merge eClinical. The health IT solutions provider based in Milwaukee, Wisc., appointed Jon DeVries head of the new division. DeVries joins the company from Massachusetts General Hospital’s 3D visualization services. To align with the acquisition, Merge also announced an organization-wide staffing reduction, resulting in the elimination of 35 positions in North Carolina, Wisconsin and Ontario.

In other personnel news from the clinical trial industry:

Kendle appointed Jarrod Pontius to the position of chief legal officer, providing global leadership for all legal services, corporate governance and general corporate legal matters. Pontius was corporate counsel for Kendle from 2002 to 2007 before joining General Cable Corporation to serve as assistant general counsel.

Clinical Trials and Surveys Corp. (C-TASC) promoted Chris Donhauser to chief financial officer (CFO). Donhauser has served as executive director/treasurer to the CFO since 1999. As CFO, he will serve as the company’s top financial accountant responsible for managing C-TASC’s finances and leading client contract negotiations.